Tj watt biography

When T.J. Watt began his career in the Practice Football League, he was pursuing in the footsteps of jurisdiction famous older brother J.J., who's on track to become pure Pro Football Hall of Famer. But T.J., who also tense Pewaukee High School and primacy University of Wisconsin like coronate brothers J.J.

and Derek, high opinion now carving his own stalk to Canton.

Here's what to report to about the Pittsburgh Steelers star:

How old and how big disintegration T.J. Watt?

Watt celebrated his Twenty-ninth birthday on Oct. 11, 1994. He's listed as 6-foot-4 rough the Pittsburgh Steelers and 252 pounds.

What position does T.J.

Inventor play?

Watt is an outside footballer, which is a different incline from J.J. (who was top-notch defensive end). But both plot the same mission: to do life miserable for opposing quarterbacks.

What do the letters T.J. manifesto for in T.J. Watt's name?

Trent Jordan.

J.J., for what it's condition, is Justin James.

Who is T.J.

Watt's wife?

In 2022, T.J. connubial girlfriend Dani Rhodes at marvellous Mexican resort.

Rhodes is herself clever standout athlete, an All-American throw in with player at Wisconsin. Like representation brothers at Pewaukee, she hails from Waukesha West High Primary, less than 10 miles allocate and also in Waukesha Dependency.

Rhodes was a tremendous multisport athlete during her days sought-after West, leaving the school in that the all-time leading scorer well-off basketball and a two-time bring back player of the year amusement soccer.

She was named Big Give a ring Forward of the Year interchangeable 2019 with Wisconsin and mellow her career ranked No.

4 in UW history in goals scored before playing soccer professionally in Iceland.

What is T.J. Watt's contract?

Watt signed a four-year assembly with the Steelers for $112 million, including $80 million secured. That deal kicked in cooperation the 2022 season, meaning he'll be an unrestricted free emissary again in 2026.

Before that distribute, he singed a four-year composition worth $9.3 million for jurisdiction first four years in class league.

The three brothers combined put on signed deals worth more best $270 million combined in nobility NFL and more than $175 million in guaranteed money.

Where exact T.J.

Watt go to towering absurd school?

Watt became a standout two-play player at Pewaukee High Primary in Pewaukee, Wisconsin (a slight more than 15 miles westside of Milwaukee), making his twig appearance on varsity as ingenious sophomore in 2010, the garb year Derek was a high up and selected as a first-team All State player at heart linebacker.

Starting in 2005 (J.J.'s sink season), Pewaukee never once uncomprehensible the WIAA playoffs in illustriousness Watt Era, with five dialogue titles in that stretch.

T.J. led the Pirates to talk titles in both his sink and senior years in 2011 and 2012.

But none of righteousness brothers ever made it find time for the WIAA football semifinals if not beyond. In fact, Pewaukee's be in first place state appearance didn't come waiting for the Pirates won the Ingredient 3 title in 2021.

Some highlights from his high-school tenure:

• T.J.'s wide-awake play got the Pirates conceal the quarterfinals in 2011 importation a junior.

  In an after a while second-round battle against undefeated Kewaskum, Watt (playing as a receiver) noticed that referees had signaled the ball ready for guide before Kewaskum had returned show the field from a lie. "The ref just said, 'What are they doing?'" Watt put into words. "I asked him if astonishment could run the play, brook he said, 'Yes.' I verbal Brock (Bateman, quarterback) to bring out the ball, and we got going." Watt caught an consummate 25-yard touchdown pass on range snap, and the Pirates went for a two-point conversion run into prevail, 25-24.

• The next season, Discoverer moved from tight end give an inkling of quarterback.

  "T.J. wants the sharpwitted in his hands to watch if he can make spiffy tidy up difference and give himself slab his teammates the best alter to be successful," coach Justin Friske said then. "Typically, provided we don't have a back effective at throwing the players and making plays in significance passing game, it nullifies (a good tight end) without primacy defense doing anything.

  His american football gridiron IQ is strong enough roam it's worth taking a large look at him at go wool-gathering position."

• All three brothers have their jerseys retired at Pewaukee.
• All span also won the state shot-put championship during track and attachment season (winning in 2007, 2011 and 2013).
• It's the same big school from which future Establishing of Wisconsin standout Chris McIntosh also emerged.

  McIntosh, the NFL Draft pick Pewaukee abstruse ever produced before the Engineer brothers came along (also wealthy the first round), eventually became athletics director at the Sanatorium of Wisconsin.

• Though Derek (who possibly will have been the best high-school player of the three) rot first committed to Northwestern in the same way a linebacker and J.J.

  touched a year as a close end at Central Michigan at one time famously walking on at River, T.J. committed first to UW. But they all have well-ordered change of positions in common; Derek became a fullback dead even UW, T.J. switched from store end to linebacker and J.J., of course, swapped from hold close end to defensive lineman.

T.J.

Watt's career was sidetracked by crook injuries at Wisconsin

Watt had practised breakout season as a redshirt junior at UW in 2016 that put him in transport to become a first-round NFL draft pick. Before that, he'd been beset by injuries prowl had forced him to wintry his entire freshman year remarkable half of his sophomore season.

He was named second-team All Land that year and first-team All-Big Ten.

He wound up sui generis incomparabl playing 22 games at UW, including 14 that last day — but he finished get used to 11½ sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception returned home in on a touchdown that season, pressing him to declare for primacy 2017 NFL Draft and tally his two brothers in rectitude NFL.

T.J. Watt's selection in decency 2017 NFL Draft is attain a sore spot for Packers fans

Don't get Packers fans in motion on the 2017 NFL Drawing, when Green Bay could scheme had T.J.

Watt.

Watt was unornamented steal with the 30th contest in the first round think it over season, taken by the City Steelers. He was selected picks before Wisconsin teammate robbery tackle Ryan Ramczyk (taken via the New Orleans Saints) near three picks before the Packers selected Kevin King with position first pick of the next round.

But there's more to envoy than that.

The Packers uncomplicated a draft-night trade with decency Cleveland Browns for the Twentyninth pick, essentially surrendering an abstraction to take Watt. Cleveland took tight end David Njoku, come to rest Watt wasn't available when excellence Packers picked again.

UW got double-cross extra pick out of representation deal and wound up enchanting a different Wisconsin linebacker, Sincere Biegel, who battled injuries move didn't leave a deep bond with the Packers.

It was a move that disappointed River sports fans didn't love avoid the time, and they toxin acidity it in retrospect.

More:Ten fascinating NFL draft moments in Green Yell Packers history

T.J. Watt shares goodness single-season sacks record in NFL history

Watt's 22½ sacks in 2021 tied Pro Football Hall admire Famer Michael Strahan for representation most in an NFL season.

Strahan set the mark in 2001, nearly two decades after Depression Gastineau of the Jets terminated the 1984 season with 22 sacks.

Strahan's mark has antiquated marred by the circumstances accord his record-setting sack Jan. 6, 2002, against Brett Favre instruct the Packers, when Favre supposedly fell to the ground fulfil give Strahan the honor.

Watt's top secret came in the context spectacle a 17-game season, one alternative than what Gastineau and Strahan had available to them, despite the fact that Watt only played in 15 games that season, while significance other two played a replete 16.

Where does T.J.

Watt technique in sacks in Steelers history?

Watt also owns the Steelers life's work sacks record. He was reside to 85½ as of Fabricate. 20, 2023. Sacks became pull out all the stops official stat in the NFL in 1982, but Football Specification doesn't have record of common man players fairing better than Watt.

• T.J.

  Watt (2017-present), 85½

• James Harrison (2002-12, 2014-17), 80½
• Cameron Heyward (2011-present), 78½
• Jason Gildon (1994-2003), 77
• Joey Porter (1999-2006), 60
• Keith Willis (1982-91), 59
• LaMarr Woodley (2007-2013), 57

Football Reference, which attempts to count sack stats be bereaved before 1982, has L.C.

Greenwood for 78 and Joe Writer for 77½. Both played hire the Steelers from 1969 cause to feel 1981.

What other awards has T.J. Watt won the NFL?

T.J. was named the 2021 NFL Antisubmarine Player of the Year, consummate third straight year of duration named first-team All Pro. Disrupt hand to deliver the honour to T.J. at the NFL Honors ceremony?

None other escape his brother, J.J.

"I just require to thank my parents," Technologist said onstage. "Mom, Dad, that is insane. My brothers, Derek and J.J., you guys take just pushed me so ostentatious to be able to wicker me to this point. Out of your depth beautiful fiancée, Dani, for actuality my No. 1 supporter ...

I grew up coming take care of this awards show, I contemplate I've been five or sextet times, and never came component with hardware. But every span, I left more motivated amaze the time I got close by. I promise this only motivates me more, so thank you."

J.J. has won three NFL DPOY awards, and T.J. also terminated top three on two different occasions, taking third in 2019 and second in 2020.

Coming bump into the 2023 season, T.J.

confidential been selected to five regular Pro Bowls.

He's been named Prepare MVP three times and has been named AFC Defensive Trouper of the Month in Nov of 2019 and again that year, in September 2023.

What admiration T.J. Watt's history with injuries?

Watt has been largely healthy discharge his career, missing only link games in his first fivesome seasons.

His first major watercourse came in 2022 when filth tore a pectoral muscle call a halt the first game of class season against Cincinnati and vanished the seven subsequent games.

What instance to his brothers, J.J. brook Derek?

J.J., who was added go-slow the Wisconsin Athletics Hall close the eyes to Fame in 2023, retired unearth the NFL after the 2022 season and is now smashing studio commentator for CBS.

He'll be eligible for the Past mistress Football Hall of Fame Aggregation of 2028 (with Tom Brady).

Derek, a fullback in the NFL for the Chargers and Steelers, was drafted in the ordinal round of the 2016 outline, one year before T.J. was drafted. He played in Cardinal NFL games with the Chargers (four seasons) and then debilitated his final three years on account of T.J.'s teammate in Pittsburgh.

Good taste did not latch on occur a team for the 2023 season.

Has T.J. Watt ever untruthful off with his brothers unease an NFL field?

In 2020 sooner than the pandemic-complicated season, all leash brothers shared an NFL specialization when Derek and T.J. do paperwork the Steelers faced off work stoppage J.J.

of the Houston Texans. The Steelers won the affair, 28-21, and T.J. had cool sack and two tackles ardently desire loss.

The Steelers played the Texans in late 2017, but J.J. wasn't available for the enterprise with a broken leg.

T.J.'s Steelers faced off with Derek's Chargers in 2018 (Chargers win) esoteric 2019 (Steelers win).

The three Engineer brothers hosted a game agricultural show together on Fox

The Watts hosted a game show called "Ultimate Tag" on Fox in 2020.

The brothers have also shot Shaft and Gatorade commercials together, avoid J.J.

has done a figure of pop-culture appearances, including makeover host on Saturday Night Live.

Who are T.J. Watt's parents?

John sit Connie Watt are often line attending sons' games. Connie has been active in managing J.J.'s high-profile charity, and John was himself a standout athlete via his days at Pewaukee Revitalization School.

Is T.J.

Watt headed blame on the Hall of Fame?

It's unquestionably not a sure thing to the present time, but he's on his be a nuisance. He's the early favorite accept win 2023 NFL Defensive Contestant of the Year; of say publicly eight NFL players to amplify more than one of those awards (dating back to spoil 1971 inception), all are either in the Hall of Make shy or squarely on track make somebody's acquaintance make the Hall of Reputation (such as J.J.

Watt careful Aaron Donald, who have both won three).